UK's O2 places orders for "hundreds of thousands" of iPhones

O2, the largest mobile carrier in the UK and exclusive provider of Apple's iPhone for the region, says it expects the touch-screen handset to become its fastest selling phone yet when it goes on sale this Friday at 6:00 p.m.

Speaking to the Financial Times, O2 chief executive Matthew Key estimated a "a couple of hundred thousand" iPhones would be sold in the first two months, adding that his firm along with its retail partner have ordered "hundreds of thousands" of units from Apple in preparation for the Nov. 9 launch.

Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Gartner, found Key's forecast to be on the conservative end, and instead believes between 350,000 and 400,000 iPhones could be sold in the UK by January. Part of that success will have to hinge on O2's retail partner in the region, Carphone Warehouse.

In a separate interview with the Telegraph, Key recalls openly admitting to Apple chief executive Steve Jobs that O2 would need to use Carphone Warehouse as a retail partner to maximise distribution if it were selected as the exclusive iPhone carrier for the UK.

Key's openness reportedly chimed with Apple, which later revealed to have already mystery-shopped all O2's stores in the UK — something Jobs also did for himself before Apple formally announced its intention to use O2 as its exclusive provider for iPhone in the region.

"He's a hugely impressive guy, hugely impressive guy," Key said of Jobs. ''He clearly knows his stuff in a level of detail that for someone at that level is mindblowing, and he has a great incisiveness in terms of what the customer wants and needs in products."

The O2 chief said he knew immediately after his first two-hour meeting with Jobs that iPhone was a device he absolutely had to offer to his customners.

"In the UK market, where the top four networks have pretty much equal shares, it offers a great way for me to get a hell of a lot of high-value customers on to O2 and drive up data usage," he said.

According to MacUser.co.uk, O2 have also removed the "fair usage policy" for data !

I'm in the UK with a 3G phone, and would switch off 3G if I knew how. I just don't need it, and with free access to The Cloud, I'm thinking 3G is even less important. Looking forward to Friday.

What's with this "region" talk as well? Makes it sound more like a state of the EU. Whilst our politicians might be pushing for a United State of Europe, the people are protesting. The UK, whilst made up of four countries, is itself a country as well.

What's with this "region" talk as well? Makes it sound more like a state of the EU. Whilst our politicians might be pushing for a United State of Europe, the people are protesting. The UK, whilst made up of four countries, is itself a country as well.

Is the fourth country Northern Ireland? Is O2 releasing iPhone there as well?

What's with this "region" talk as well? Makes it sound more like a state of the EU. Whilst our politicians might be pushing for a United State of Europe, the people are protesting. The UK, whilst made up of four countries, is itself a country as well.

Hear! Hear!

While being a U.S. "mutt" myself, for a lack of a better term, my mother, God Rest her Soul, was UK born and bread. While a Greencard alien here in the USA, she took great pride of her natural birthplace (born in Nottingham and raised in Bedford), English Ancestry and the Queen!

My only downside is that half my "family" is 3000 miles away and while a phone call, card or letter is nice, sadly, it still is not the same as being able to get in the car and 'drive' to grandmothers house or visit an aunt, uncle or cousin.

Cheers to all who will be in line for O2's iPhone launch! Being iPhoneless myself (personal reasons), I do enjoy it's wonders when visiting my local Apple Store.